Qian Liangmu was originally complacent. He was extremely satisfied with his performance just Just Now. Not only did he put on a sufficiently humble front, preventing Li Qingshan from venting his anger on him, but he did not back down at all in terms of bearing, directly forcing Li Qingshan to make a choice. He could not do it half-heartedly.
When he heard Li Qingshan's earlier words, the corner of his lips had already curled up slightly. Since he understood the King of Southern Yue's power, all he could do was agree obediently. He had already begun imagining what kind of reward he would receive after completing this mission of persuasion. He would be taking another step closer to the King of Southern Yue's throne.
If he could pull Li Qingshan and Qian Liangmu into his side, that would be for the best.
However, when Li Qingshan gave his answer, even Qian Liangmu was stunned despite how shrewd he was. Peng Jingni and Yu Wufeng were taken aback too. They knew Li Qingshan would not agree so easily, but they never expected him to turn it down so straightforwardly.
His words were equivalent to cutting off his path of retreat. He was not half-heartedly, not fooling around, not deceiving. He was rejecting him flatly, leaving no room for negotiation.
Little Ann looked at him, blinked his eyes, and smiled.
"Commander Li, have you thought it through? Do you know what the consequences will be? There are a lot of people who don't fear the emperor in the Mist province, but there aren't a lot of people who don't fear the King of Southern Yue. Even if there are, they probably won't be able to live for long! "
Qian Liangmu was not threatening Li Qingshan. He had no intention of creating a powerful enemy for himself over the matter of the king's estate. Instead, out of surprise, he questioned him instinctively. He was tempted to smash open Li Qingshan's head and see what he was thinking!
"My life …" Li Qingshan extended his hand towards Qian Liangmu. In that moment, Qian Liangmu felt like the hand could blot out the sky and envelop him. He could not help but lean backwards. If it were not for the fact that Li Qingshan did not give off any killing intent, he basically would have turned around and fled already.
Li Qingshan clenched his fingers gently and smiled. "… only in my own hands."
Qian Liangmu coughed violently a few times to hide his loss of composure Just Now. He let out a long sigh and said, "Ai, I didn't expect Commander to be so loyal to the sect. That's rare in the Mist province, but have you ever considered, commander, when you were set up by despicable people and sent to the Mist province, did the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga and Chu Lie King ever protect you? The so-called righteous path is nothing more than using a set of hypocritical morals to restrain mortals. We cultivators should not be restrained by such things. "
"Haven't I made myself clear enough? I'm loyal to no one. Whether it's the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga, Chu Lie King, or the King of Southern Yue, I came to the Mist province because of my own choice. Of course, I haven't forgotten about the name Si Qing either. Regardless of gratitude or enmity, I will return it double. "
Li Qingshan resumed his lazy posture and gently stroked Little Ann's seaweed-like long hair. The smooth and silky touch was very comfortable.
"Then I have nothing else to say. All I can do is bid farewell." Qian Liangmu stood up and clasped his hands.
"Please!" Li Qingshan waved his hand. After a moment of thought, he took out another jar of alcohol and tossed it to Qian Liangmu. He tossed it to Qian Liangmu. "Send my regards to Lord Prefecture Overseer. If the opportunity arises, I'll pay a visit to the Mist capital. "
Qian Liangmu was taken aback again. He only felt like his actions were always unexpected and unpredictable. Probably all geniuses had a few eccentricities, but he had forgotten that he was also known as a genius in the south.
Qian Liangmu left in a hurry with the alcohol, returning to the Myriad Poison cult and the Mist capital to report back.
Peng Jingni originally stayed behind because he wanted to ruin Qian Liangmu's plans, but in the end, he did not even get a word in. However, he still felt extremely satisfied after watching the show.
"You're quite gallant, fellow!" Peng Jingni personally believed he did not have the courage to remain composed after turning down the King of Southern Yue.
"I've just turned down something that I should turn down. What gallant is there to speak of?" Li Qingshan said.
"Though, I'm a little confused. Why did you say it so decisively, without leaving any room for negotiation?"
Peng Jingni originally thought that Li Qingshan did not turn down the South Sea Sword pavilion's request outright and even left behind a sliver of hope because he was fearful of the South Sea Sword pavilion. Looking at it now, that was not the case at all. Why would someone who did not even take the King of Southern Yue's estate seriously fear the South Sea Sword pavilion?
"How can the mighty King of Southern Yue be brushed aside with words? If I agree, I'll definitely go to the Mist capital to accept the appointment. By then, if I don't offer up a few proof of my allegiance, how can he spare me? If I want to turn him down again, I won't have a choice. In the end, I'll end up in an awkward position, at a loss for what to do. I'll be looked down upon by the 'Green province', but I won't be trusted by the 'Mist province' either. I still have to make a choice."
Li Qingshan shook his head in disapproval. Many times, it was not that he had to be resolute. Instead, there were many things where taking a step back would only lead to constantly retreating until there was no more room to retreat. The outcome would instead be even worse. He would be better off taking a step forward right from the beginning and carving out a path.
"I see!"
Peng Jingni came to a realisation before letting out another long sigh. He should not have thought of such a simple principle. However, the influence of the King of Yue's estate was just too great, making people want to run away involuntarily.
Then he asked, "May I ask when you'll be visiting the South sea?"
Li Qingshan rubbed Little Ann's head. "When she wants to go, I'll get your senior brother to contact you."
"I have a word of advice. This Qian Liangmu is a prince in name, but he's actually a despicable person. When he returns, he'll definitely stir up trouble and make things difficult for the Myriad Poison cult and the King of Yue's estate. Why don't you lie low for a while? The South sea is boundless. You can just find a random place there, and even the King of Yue's estate won't be able to reach you."
Peng Jingni tried to persuade him. Before he knew it, his attitude towards Li Qingshan had changed from hostility to admiration. He really did not want to see him die here.
And, if the King of Yue's estate really took action, Yu Wufeng would have to go down with him. If Li Qingshan went to the South sea, he would definitely have a use for the South Sea Sword pavilion, which would give him an opportunity to exchange for Yu Wufeng.
"Thank you for your kind intentions, but I don't think the provincial lord will be so impulsive," said Li Qingshan.
If he really was afraid of danger, then he might as well flee back to the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga. Why would he go to the South sea? Why had he come to the south in the first place?
Peng Jingni did not agree. How could he entrust his life to someone else? With his personality, how could he ever think about getting lucky? He was just about to try and persuade him a little more. "Junior Peng, there's no need to say anything more.
My king has his plans. Go back and report to master. There's no need to worry about me. This is my fate. In the past, I was in a hurry to break through the third heavenly tribulation, so my foundation was unstable and I was doomed. It's perfect for me to consolidate my cultivation now. I'll serve the King of Savages for a while. I believe there'll be a day when the time is right for me to return to the sword pavilion, "said Yu Wufeng.
Since Li Qingshan could survive the Dragon King Of The Sea's pursuit, he obviously had his own methods. Moreover, the Banyan Tree King was probably standing behind him.
In the beginning, he had been forced to swear a blood oath, hoping that the South Sea Sword pavilion would save him, but during this period of time, he had instead given up on this thought as he fought across the south with Li Qingshan. He did not want his sect to get involved in this mess because of him.
He had gained a slight understanding of Li Qingshan's personality. Even if master holds a sword to his neck, he probably won't yield. It'll still be difficult for him to remove the blood oath in the end. Since he said that it's not necessarily impossible for him to set me free, he might not have just said it casually. All I can do is wait for this opportunity to appear.
"Yes, senior brother!"
Peng Jingni agreed. Yu Wufeng's judgement was also his judgement. Once he returned to the South Sea Sword pavilion, he definitely would not suggest using force against Li Qingshan.
In the end, he said to Li Qingshan, "I still have a presumptuous request. I hope you can agree to it!"
"Let's hear it."
"I want to ask for a jar of alcohol for my master!" Peng Jingni said as his eyes shone. Yu Wufeng nodded.
"No problem."
… …
The Myriad Poison cult, the Poison King palace, the Poison Heart hall.
An old man in green robes sat on the altar. His face was withered, and his long hair draped over his shoulders, but it was black and translucent. As his eyes opened and closed, a sliver of green light flowed through them.
Qian Liangmu stood below the altar and reported what had happened on Savage mountain. He did not purposefully stir up trouble like Peng Jingni had guessed. Instead, he narrated what had happened extremely calmly, without any of his own thoughts.
The Myriad Poison Ancestor listened to Qian Liangmu and closed his eyes.
The hall fell silent. Qian Liangmu lowered his head deeply. A while later, the Myriad Poison Ancestor snapped open his eyes and asked, "He told you to bring a jar of alcohol to your father?"
"Yes."
Qian Liangmu was taken aback. He had always prided himself on his cleverness, but even he found it rather difficult to wrap his head around this right now. There were so many important details, yet he just had to ask about a jar of alcohol.
"Only a single jar?" The Myriad Poison Ancestor asked.
"Yes."
"What an arrogant brat!" The Myriad Poison Ancestor said sternly.
Qian Liangmu was rather confused. There were many areas where Li Qingshan was arrogant, but it was nowhere near this jar of alcohol. He had no idea how to answer, so all he could do was continue with an affirmative.
"Go to the Mist capital and report back!"
… …
In the King of Yue's palace, under a flowering tree in a quiet courtyard. A young man leaned against his hand and held a shiny, white chess piece as he stared at the crisscrossing chessboard in thought.
The tree was an apricot tree, and the flowers were apricot flowers. They were pinkish-white and bright red, giving off a faint fragrance and elegance.
A gentle breeze blew over, and the flowers fell like snow. A while later, a thin layer covered the chessboard. A woman as pretty as an apricot flower blew gently with her pink lips.
There were only the two of them in the courtyard, but the woman was not one of the players. Of course, the man was not pretending to play against her either. On the opposite side of the chessboard, there was a bonsai placed on a stone bench. It was a delicate, small tree. The trunk of the tree snaked around like a dragon, entrenched in the pot. Within its tiny space, it gave off a vigorous aura.
"My king, prince Liangmu has returned!" An attendant from the palace reported.
"Let him in."
Qian Liangmu walked in slowly and bowed towards the young man first. "Greetings, father!"
The young man happened to be the lord of the Mist province, the King of Southern Yue. He continued to stare at the chessboard.
Then Qian Liangmu bowed towards the bonsai. "Tree king!"
The bonsai was a banyan tree, one of the countless clones of the Banyan Tree King. He shook the aerial root with the black chess piece as a response.
Just when Qian Liangmu was about to bow towards the woman, the woman urged him, "Don't be so polite. If you have something to say, just say it. I still want to watch the game!"
Qian Liangmu agreed in a hurry. Just like how he did in the Myriad Poison cult, he described what had happened on Savage mountain. However, this time, he added a lot of his own opinions. He carried out various evaluations and analyses of Li Qingshan and Little Ann, ranging from the various changes in the south to the situation of the Green province and Mist province. His content was over ten times colder than before.
The woman became impatient. The King of Southern Yue continued to stare at the chessboard. Only when Qian Liangmu finished did he turn around.
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